A third of young people expect to wait a year for a job

Thirty percent of 16-18 year olds expect to wait over a year to secure a job after leaving full time education, according to research commissioned by the charity Young Enterprise.

Half of young people said that greater international competition for jobs contributes to the difficulty in securing work, while 46% still blame the ongoing impact of the recession, saying that there are fewer jobs available. 

Young Enterprise commissioned the study to examine the challenges facing the next generation, and found that a number of factors were exacerbating youth unemployment, rather than supporting young people into work.

For example, 16% of survey respondents thought that unpaid internships were only accessible to individuals from high-income families. Almost half (47%) acknowledged that a good degree alone would not be enough to secure a professional job. Yet 58% said they would struggle to get the right sort of experience to secure the work they desired. 

The UK’s high youth unemployment figures, which stand at around 13%, continue to lag behind economies such as Germany (7%) and Denmark (9%).

The report also pointed to systematic problems with preparing young people for the world of work: 31% felt they were not taught the necessary employment skills such as teamwork, confidence and problem solving, while a third felt they were not given enough careers guidance.

 Commenting on the research, Michael Mercieca, chief executive of Young Enterprise said: “Youth unemployment has been a blight on the lives of millions of young people across the UK for too long. It brings with it serious financial and social implications both for the individuals and for wider economic productivity and growth. 

“Academic attainment is only part of the journey to building a well-rounded individual and workforce. Our research has found that young people are seriously concerned with how they will attain the necessary skill sets to enter and succeed in the world of work.

“Young people don’t need sympathy and rhetoric, they need opportunity to learn, not ‘guidance’ and ‘sign-posting’.”

He added that it was essential for schools, charities and businesses to work together in a “long-term, national programme” to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to develop the skills they needed to thrive at work or become entrepreneurs.